Jail time sought for 21 officials in rigging case

Written By THA on Sunday, 3 June 2012 | 22:22

Aziz Yıldırım. AA Photo

The prosecutor in Turkey’s ongoing match-fixing case issued his final opinion in the case on June 1, demanding jail time for 21 players and officials for their alleged role in last season’s rigging scandal.

Ufuk Ermertcan is seeking prison terms for several members of Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor, as well as players from Eskişehirspor, Sivasspor, Gençlerbirliği and Bursaspor. Two officials from Beşiktaş are also listed as suspects for their alleged attempts to manipulate the team’s 2011 Ziraat Turkish Cup victory over Istanbul BB.

Head judge Mehmet Ekinci is expected to make his verdicts on the case, which listed 93 football club officials, players and coaches as suspects, after four hearings in late June.

The case focuses on Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor’s alleged efforts to manipulate the 2010-2011 Spor Toto Super League title race. Fenerbahçe won the title over Trabzonspor on goal difference.

According to the Istanbul police, several games were allegedly manipulated, either by clubs allegedly paying their rivals to underperform, or by paying incentives to the other title contenders’ opponents to boost their performances.

According to Ermertcan’s opinion,

Aziz Yıldırım (Fenerbahçe chairman) should be punished for 14 to 39 years and nine months for fixing six matches, paying incentives to three teams and forming an illegal organization to gain unjust income;

Olgun Peker (former Giresunspor chairman) should be punished for involvement in an armed criminal organization;

Yusuf Turanlı (unlicensed player agent) should be punished on organization and match-fixing charges; Bülent Uygun (former Eskişehirspor coach) should be punished with 10 years in jail for match fixing and membership in an illegal organization;

Cemil Turan (Fenerbahçe official) should be punished for match fixing and membership in an illegal organization;

Ali Yıldırım (Fenerbahçe official, brother of Aziz Yıldırım) should be punished for match fixing and membership in an illegal organization;

Göksel Gümüşdağ (former Istanbul BB chairman) should be cleared of charges of match fixing and assisting the illegal organization.

İlhan Ekşioğlu (Fenerbahçe board member) should be punished with 11 to 30 years in jail for match fixing, paying incentives and membership in an illegal organization;

Şekip Mosturoğlu (Fenerbahçe board member) should be punished for match fixing and membership in an illegal organization;

Mehmet Yıldız (former Sivasspor player) should be punished with three years for match fixing;

Korcan Çelikay (former Sivasspor goalkeeper) should be punished with three years for match fixing;

İbrahim Akın (former Istanbul BB player) should be punished for two to seven years for match-fixing;